Family Affairs
by Gothic984
Summary: Caleb's 13th birthday is approaching and Lucas is trying to keep his family united, due to Caleb's and Gail's behaviour of late.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own any American Gothic characters, this is a work of fan fiction. This story is a continuation of my previous stories and follows on from Independence Day.

It was a scorching hot August afternoon in Trinity South Carolina, there had been no rain for over a month and the thick dry heat made it hard to breathe for the older residents of the Town.

Abraham Dawson watched from his lounge chair on his back porch as the two dominant girls in his life pulled at the weeds in his backyard, pondering over how he had been so blessed to have such company.

Abe was a good old fashioned God fearing southern man and if he knees would permit it, he would be at Church every Sunday with the locals of his beloved Town. He tried to live his life on the straight and narrow, knowing full well what temptations were lurking in the wings; however, he also kept some bad company and was amazed that he had not been punished for the man he had chosen as his best friend.

As he watched the girls work, his mind was brought back to his Martha and how she used to take care of the gardening duties. His late beloved adored being outdoors and gardening eased all of her concerns, it was a joy to watch her complete her tasks and a sorrow came over him as he realised how much he truly missed her.

Gail sensed her Uncle's sadness instantly and stopped what she was doing, then ran her hand over her delicate stomach and considered how lucky she was. She got up from her position on the ground carefully and dusted off her long skirt then made her way to Abe, ensuring her long hair was still secured above her head in a hair claw and picked up the glass of lemonade that he had left for her. 'She's coming along great isn't she' Gail glanced towards Stacey and took a sip of her drink.

'That young girl is a breath of fresh air, just like you Rosie' Abe forced a smile to hide his sorrow and signalled for her to sit down.'You sure no-one's missin' her?' he asked curiously.

Gail let out a small laugh and shook her head. 'I wish they were, it'd make things a lot easier' she sighed, pulling up a chair and sitting down beside him.

'That ol' boy still disapprove of your actions regardin' her?' Abe asked, knowing all to well that his closest friend would not like her attention being taken away from him and directed on the young girl.

'Lucas knows better than to interfere with my projects and he's fine providing I give him enough attention before heading out' she advised, not wanting to get into her current relationship issues with the man who knows her husband better than anyone.

Abe laughed and shook his head. 'Whatever you say Rosie' he said sarcastically, not believing her statement for a second.

'You've known a lot of Buck's haven't you?' Gail asked casually, as she continued to watch Stacey closely.

Abe sensed her intrigued and inhaled deeply. 'I've known a lot of Emory's too' he answered and reached for his drink.

Gail laughed, knowing he could read her like a book and leaned back in the chair then let out a small sigh. 'I'm worried' she admitted quietly. After coming to a dead end with her investigation into the Buck line, she had no choice but to change her tactics.

Abe sat up straight and looked at her concerned. 'Did he hurt you? I swear I'll kill him if he did!' he exclaimed, feeling a sudden wave of anger flood through him.

Stacey turned towards the pair, hearing the old mans voice rise and becoming worried; however, Gail waved reassuringly at her, so she continued on with her task.

'Keep your voice down' she ordered quietly, then let out an exasperated sigh. 'He's not hurt me, you know he never would'

'Then what?' Abe interrupted, sensing there was something beneath her calm exterior.

Gail thought for a moment, doubting her initial decision to bring her Uncle into this, then decided she had no other choice. 'Have you ever know of any female Bucks?' she asked curiously, crossing her legs comfortably and leaning closer to him.

Abe stared at her confused for a moment, then let out a loud laugh. 'Plenty...you think those Buck men ain't been good catches over the years? They've all had wives and mistresses Rosie'

Gail swallowed hard in frustration and shook her head abruptly. 'You're not understanding me...I don't mean wives or girlfriends or whores, I want to know about blood Uncle. Have there ever been any female Buck's in that bloodline?' she asked hopefully, just needing him to confirm one for her to finally be able to relax.

Abe narrowed his eyes at her for a moment and remained silent while he thought about the question, sensing that this was important. His Rosie had never tried to really persuade him to give up any dirt on Lucas or his family, she may have joked from time to time; however, she never expected him to betray his friendship so this appeared to be serious.

Abe had known Malcolm for a spell, about the same time that Abe was close with Gail's Grandfather. After Malcolm's mysterious death, Lucas had come to be a valued friend over the years and Abe had been trusted with a lot of the Buck family history. Abe inhaled deeply and ran his hand through his thin grey hair, hoping his friend would not see his honesty as a betrayal. 'I can't say I've come across any mention of a girl, the boy's have dominated that family for centuries as far as I'm aware' he shrugged, then spotted the look of worry on Gail's face and touched her knee concerned. 'What is Rosie? You need to tell me right now' he ordered calmly.

Gail let out a long breath before running her hand through her hair and letting out a small laugh. 'What are the odd's that a girl coming about now is a good sign?' she asked sarcastically, willing him to reassure her.

Abe glanced at her stomach, then stared up at her with wide eyes. 'Oh Rosie' he said in a worried tone, then reached for her and pulled her into his arms protectively.

* * *

Lucas Buck sat outside Jimmy's Bar with Billy Peele and stared casually up at the sun hanging high above them. After the activities on the fourth of July a few weeks earlier, his home life had calmed down considerably and he was enjoying the peacefulness that the lack of drama brought. Considering what had happened with both Caleb and Gail, he had come off lightly and it had all appeared to work out like he had foreseen.

By allowing Caleb to take over his duties as the head of the household for their barbecue and surprising Gail with their own intimate celebration, Lucas had persuaded his love that he had her best interests at heart. That went a long way in reassuring her when she was in her current condition and made it hard for her to be mad at him.

Caleb had also benefited greatly from the activities that transpired, Rose's Mother had made a speedy recovery and as he had saved her from the fire, the boy could do no wrong in her eyes. This meant his sons focus was elsewhere for the time being and Lucas did not have to be concerned with the boy overreacting to the new edition who would be joining their family in the future.

Everything was back to normal and Lucas was taking advantage of the calmness while it lasted. He picked up his glass of whiskey and downed it effortlessly, savouring the cool liquid travelling down his throat.

Billy watched as Luke struggled to free himself from his buggy, then glanced at Lucas who appeared to have no interest in his son. He pushed Lucy closer to Luke in an attempt to appease the young boy, then picked up his own drink and sipped it slowly. 'The girl's would go spare if they knew we were out drinking with the children on a Friday afternoon' he advised knowingly and glanced around the area to ensure there was no one he knew watching them.

Lucas laughed at his friends caution and shook his head at the man's lack of authority in his relationship. 'My love couldn't care less about what I get up to in work hours, especially when I've taken our little demon off of her hands for the day' he smirked and gently reached over to release Luke from his buggy, then held him firmly on his knee.

Luke's recent behaviour had become colourful to say the least, his youngest had just started to master walking and always attempted to get into things that he should not. Lucas knew all children went through this stage; however, Luke chose to disregard obvious things such as antique ornaments, the open fireplace, books, or anything normal in his path and opted for trying to obtain the fire poker, or the sharp knives in the dedicated drawer in the Kitchen.

His boy also appeared calculating at time, leading Izzy away from the adults to get up to who knows what. When Lucas spotted him leading her behind the long curtains in his Study, Luke shot him a malevolent glance and looked at Izzy much like a spider would regard it's prey; however, before he managed to lead her to his intended destination, he was pulled back by his Mother and let out a frustrated squeal.

Lucas did not think that Gail had spotted this change in their son, she was too distracted with Caleb and their girl that she was carrying. Luke never showed any hostility towards his Mother, if anything he pined for her when she was not around and clung to her when she was present. As his love has a whole host of things to deal with and appeared to be coming to terms with her condition, Lucas had decided to spend more time with his youngest and make sure this change in behaviour would not impact Gail.

Billy watched Lucas curiously, then downed his drink and signalled for the Waitress who was standing near the door of the bar to bring them two more. 'Platinum service from a dive bar...only in Trinity' he said sarcastically and leaned back in his chair comfortably.

'What can I say? It's good to be Lucas Buck' Lucas smiled smugly, then lifted Luke high in the air so his boy could survey their surroundings, knowing he was curious like his Mother.

Billy rolled his eyes at the comment and nodded his thanks to the Waitress when she brought their drinks quickly. 'How's Gail holding up? Her and Christie have been spending a lot more time together recently, I bet you're loving that' he smiled knowing and tickled Luke's belly when the boy turned to face him.

It was true that his love had taken to re-establishing her close relationship with her old best friend and it was obvious that Christie still did not trust him. Lucas had been attempting to ignore the reunion; however, the smug looks Christie gave him when they crossed paths were grating on him and he was close to stepping in.

'Wow, Lucas Buck silenced by two women' Billy laughed, spotting the instant look of resentment on his friends face at the mention of Christie.

'How can you even stand to be in her company? The woman is an ass' Lucas asked thoroughly confused at how anyone could stand her, then pulled Luke back down to his knee securely when the boy attempted to wriggle free of his grasp.

Billy shrugged and took a large sip of his drink. 'That woman has some redeeming qualities' he winked and laughed at Lucas' look of disdain. 'Hey, it ain't my fault you chose to shack up with a Reporter and her Reporter best friend doesn't approve of your questionable antics'

Lucas inhaled deeply in an attempt to hide his irritation, then downed his drink and signalled for the Waitress to bring them the bottle. 'I usually don't have a problem with female Reporters friend, contrary to your belief. My high standing Reporter wife used her common sense and came to my side after her investigations took her nowhere, your second rate Reporter doesn't appear to have any common sense to direct her onto the right path...Maybe you should try to help her see that her feelings for me are misguided, for the sake of everyone involved' he suggested bluntly and smiled down at Luke when he noticed his boy watching him intently.

Billy heard the warning in Lucas' undertone and shook his head in frustration. So far he had avoided the conflict with his girlfriend and best friend; however, it was only a matter of time before this came down on him, as Christie refused to drop her investigation. 'You should know how hard it is to get a Reporter to listen when her mind's made up, but leave it with me and we'll see if common sense prevails' he sighed, then smiled pleasantly at the Waitress when she brought a fresh bottle of whiskey and filled their glasses.

* * *

Caleb stood on the sidewalk staring up at the faded green paint on the small house in front of him, he did not want to be here and it was taking all of his control to remain calm at being forced into this visit.

'Well go on then, we ain't got all day' Merlyn ordered, with her arms crossed over her chest in an unimpressed manner.

'I don't even know why you're here, ain't you got some place to be with Dr Matt?' Caleb asked moodily, not appreciating his Sisters presence at this moment in time.

Merlyn refused to react to his comment and just smiled sweetly at him, knowing that would have more of a desired affect than scolding him. 'There's nowhere in the world I'd rather be little Brother' she stated smugly, knowing this was some sort of punishment but not being privy to the details. 'I don't know what you did or what you and Gail are hidin', but she made it clear you need to reap what sow and deal with the consequences of somethin' that you did'

Caleb let out a loud huff and turned back towards the house. 'I didn't do nothin' it was Lucas...I don't know why I gotta do this' he said annoyed, before starting up the path to the house begrudgingly.

'Did I say you gotta do this?' Lucas asked amused, appearing on the road behind Merlyn and leaning casually against his car.

Merlyn rolled her eyes at the sound of his voice, then shook her head in exasperation when Caleb hurried back towards them clearly looking for any excuse.

'Gail said I need to go check on Rose's Mom, somethin' about seein' what issues my actions caused' Caleb explained, as he approached his Father and leaned on the car next to him.

Lucas let out a small laugh and stared down at his eldest knowingly. 'This is why you need to choose your allies carefully son, I ain't aware of this punishment or why you need to concern yourself with Abby's wellbein'. That woman brought everythin' on herself, but if you wanna side with the women you go ahead and see what fun it is to nurse an injured person all by yourself' he said sarcastically.

'Lucas...' Merlyn started, sensing it was not wise to let him take over here.

'What your Sister is tryin' to do is please her Cousin and I don't blame her for that, hell I do that on a daily basis' Lucas interrupted, amused at the situation they found themselves in. 'All I'm sayin' is that I don't believe any punishment is required and our love didn't tell me there was some mandatory task that had to be completed'

Caleb thought for a moment, sensing his Sister's irritation and her willing him to go back to what he was about to do; however, he was a Buck and he had never once witnessed his Father having to take responsibility for his actions in such a way, unless his actions directly hurt Gail. He did not see why he should be punished for actually doing something that his Father wanted him to do and this caused conflict inside of him.

'Atta boy, you're startin' to learn...I'll never force you do do anythin' you don't wanna do, so the choice is yours. Are you with the women or us men?' Lucas asked smugly, sensing Caleb's true desires and knowing he would make the right choice.

Caleb thought for a moment, not wanting to upset or anger Gail; however, he spotted both Luke and Doctor Peele in the car waving at him happily, so rushed to the back passenger door beside Luke and jumped into the car without saying another word to his Sister.

Merlyn let out a long sigh and stared up at the sky in exasperation.

'You tell my love that the boy's out with his Father plannin' his upcoming Birthday, I'm sure she'll take the news lightly' Lucas smirked triumphantly, then returned to the drivers side of the car and drove away leaving Merlyn on her own.

-To be continued-


	2. Chapter 2

Gail pushed her hands further into the dirt, trying to locate the tough roots which appeared to be evading her. She had been out in the open sun for hours and was fully aware by the dryness of her lips and soreness of her throat that she was long overdue some water; however, her current activity was taking her mind off the drama's that threatened to disturb her peaceful day and she was determined to keep in a calm state.

Christie had visited her after she disclosed the sex of her baby to Abe, her friend had disregarded her Uncle's warning to leave her alone and off loaded all of her problems onto her anyway. It turned out that Gail's return to duty had caused her Editor Mark to expect a higher standard from all of her other colleagues and he had reduced the bonuses currently in place for published articles, unless they made the front page of the newspaper. Gail was still popular with older and younger readers, meaning any article published by her was guaranteed to be front page news and the other Reporters found that treatment to be unfair.

Gail attempted to ease Christie's mood and explained that the decision would have come from the owner of the business Trevor, rather than Mark itself; however, that only resulted in Christie attacking Lucas, claiming he had some hand in the decision to ensure that she was somehow screwed over. Gail had found the claim to be utterly childish and warned her friend off making up stories about her husband. She knew Mark had been looking for a way to light a fire underneath his staff and this decision had nothing to do with Lucas.

Christie had become offended, claiming Gail was always on Lucas' side. The fact that Gail was obviously batting for her husband was not the point, the constant bickering of both Christie and Lucas about each other was starting to grate on her. Gail had suggested Christie go find Adam, the candidates for Mayor were still a big draw for readers and it would score Christie a front page article as Gail was taking a step back this week; however, Christie had just stormed off as Mark had apparently claimed Gail was going to be covering the election going forward and had not bothered to wait for her response to the claim.

When Christie left Gail had received a telephone call from Merlyn, it appeared Caleb had gotten out of his punishment with the help of his Father and they were apparently sorting out his Birthday. She had really wanted Caleb to witness first hand what inconvenience and issues that his actions had caused for Rose's Mother Abby and was enraged when she found out that Lucas had gone against her wishes; therefore, she had thrown herself into the gardening she was doing for Abe and refused to stop until she had worked off all of her pent up anger.

Abe continued to watch Gail pulling at the weeds, her small vest sticking to her body in the heat and her skin turning red due to being overly exposed to the sun. He knew she was overworking herself due to the interruptions she had gotten earlier and he wished he could do something to help her.

'That's my job ol' man, not yours' Lucas stated, as he appeared suddenly leaning against the back door to Abe's house.

Abe inhaled deeply in frustration and stared at his close friend disapprovingly. 'That girl's gonna work herself to death, where's your perfect family gonna be then?' he snapped, getting up from his seated position and taking a few steps closer to the girls.

Lucas watched his oldest friend closely, then placed his hand on his shoulder and turned her around gently to face him. 'This routine is gettin' old, what did your Rosie say I did now?' he asked sarcastically, mocking Abe's favouritism and playful name for Gail.

Abe stared at him angrily and took a step closer, sensing his friends over-entitlement and willing him to dare try his tricks on him. 'You remember who you're talkin' to boy and consider this, I protected you and your Mom when your Daddy was still alive regardless of who he was. I ain't no tainted soul who was stupid enough to be damned by your deals and I certainly ain't a supporter of your cause' Abe informed him in a scolding manner, 'That girl over there was and always has been a part of my family. I was allied to the Emory's long before I was allied to you so before you go spoutin' your mouth off about loyalty, have a long hard think about whether you really want me to choose sides given what I know about your history'

Lucas took a step back at the statement and regarded him cautiously, it was not like Abe to seriously scold or lecture him outright; therefore, something must be on his mind which had caused the outburst. 'You know I'd never really intend to offend you Abraham, we go too far back for that...you wanna share what's really botherin' you?' he asked concerned, choosing to give him a pass on some of the inappropriate comments.

Caleb stood in the Kitchen close to the back door, listening curiously. He had heard Abe's attack on his Father and did not understand why Lucas was not reacting like he would with anyone else.

Abe spotted Caleb through the Kitchen window and shook his head in agitation. 'You cart the whole with you here? Figures' he sighed, then waved Stacey over when he caught her watching them curiously.

'What are you doin'?' Lucas asked, unsure why Gail's stray was joining them.

'I gathered you'd want me to distract the children as usual while you work your charm on my Rosie' he stated in a judgemental tone, then pulled Stacey close when she rushed to his side and hid behind him.

'Seriously, what have I done to offend you?' Lucas asked in frustration, not understanding why Abe was directing his apparent bad mood onto him.

'What haven't you done?' Abe snapped, then shot Caleb an unimpressed look through the window for spying and took Stacey inside.

Lucas looked up at the sky and ran his hand through his hair in exasperation when Abe slammed the door behind him, then turned his attention to his wife who appeared deep in her gardening task. He knew she would have been aware of their exchange, as their connection was strong and she would have sensed his back go up when Abe first snapped at him; however, she did not even spare them a glance and he suddenly became aware of where Abe's mood had stemmed from.

Gail sensed Lucas as soon as he pulled up with their children and had chosen to put them all out of her mind. When Abe lectured Lucas she pushed the conversation away and was only brought out of her calming trance at the sound of the back door slamming. Usually she would be annoyed at Lucas' ability to cause disruption wherever he went; however, she was not interested at all in what was going on and continued to monitor the soil before her.

Rocky came from behind the rose bushes that she was close to and lay beside her, scared due to the loud noise that the door had made. She stroked him reassuringly and smiled when he rested his head affectionately on her knee. She missed Rocky with him staying at Abe's to keep him company this past month and stroked him lovingly, then leaned down and placed a soft kiss on the top of his nose.

Lucas watched as his wife's attention remained on everything around her but him, he felt a surge of jealousy flow through him when he witnessed the tender way she was being with the dog he had gotten her and instinctively went to her, kneeling down beside Rocky. Lucas picked up a rose from the small basket behind his love and ran his thumb over a thorn, he did not flinch when the sharp thorn pierced his skin and just watched as the blood trickled down his finger.

Gail sensed the small bolt of pain that her husband felt and finally turned her attention towards him. She took the rose carefully from his grasp and placed it back in the basket, before taking his injured thumb and instinctively placing it inside her mouth.

Lucas inhaled deeply when her tongue passed over his wound and she began to suck away the blood, then bit his bottom lip when she clearly sensed his excitement and she took another finger in her mouth teasingly. 'So you're not mad at me?' he asked calmly, attempting to control his urges and watching as she continued to nip and suck his finger.

Gail smiled warmly and licked her lips when she stared longingly at his. 'This is the first we've talked since I left the house...should I be mad at you?' she asked sweetly, then kissed him softly as his lips came down on hers.

Lucas tangled his hand in her hair and began kissing her more forcefully, not understanding what Abe's issue was, then he remembered that she knew exactly what to do to distract him and he begrudgingly broke free from their embrace. 'You wanna tell me what's caused Abe to turn on me?' he asked, placing a finger on her lips gently when she tried to kiss him again.

Gail laughed amused at his attempt to remain in control, then stood up carefully and moved further towards the back of the property. 'Abe would never turn against you, just like me' she smiled sweetly and began surveying the overgrown plants at this secluded part of the garden.

Lucas was not fooled and her attempt to disarm him by her sweetness amused him, it was one of her qualities that he admired the most when it came to her controlling other people and it was a shame for her that it did not work on him. 'That ol' man dotes on you, when he thinks you're hurtin' he directs that anger straight on me' he said knowingly.

Gail glanced over her shoulder at him for a moment, then turned her attention back to the garden. 'That's not my intention, just like I'm sure undermining me to Caleb isn't yours' she said calmly, then turned around and leaned against the tree at the farthest part of the garden.

Lucas started at her curiously for a moment, sensing she was hiding what was truly bothering her and attempting to dig it out. 'It's not underminin' if I'm not aware of a punishment love' he shrugged.

'Unless a member of my family made you aware and you still chose to pull him away from the task he was supposed to complete' Gail said knowingly, unfazed by his attempt to get out of what he had done.

'So you are you mad at me?' Lucas asked outright, cutting through their niceties and closing the distance between them.

'I've got more important things to care about, this doesn't even warrant a small bit of attention' Gail shrugged and stared deep into his eyes when he finally reached her.

Lucas searched her eyes for even a tiny hint of her true concerns, then let out a frustrated sigh when she just smiled back at him.

'Trouble getting in sweetheart?' Gail asked smugly.

'Trouble with my wife closing herself off' Lucas replied frustrated.

Gail let out a small laugh and shook her head amused. 'And if I didn't, what then?' she asked calmly.

'What do you mean?' Lucas asked confused, then ran his hand over her swollen stomach and smiled proudly.

Gail had not bothered to hide her slowly expanding stomach today, knowing she would be out in the garden for most of the day and away from the public; however, had she have known Lucas would visit she would have wore more than just a tight vest and a loose skirt, knowing he could not help himself when she chose to show her pregnancy. 'If I let you in, it wouldn't change anything and all you'd do is falsely reassure me' she advised, trying to ignore how soothing his touch felt.

Lucas sensed her relax at his touch and moved his hand beneath her vest, then began stroking her stomach softly. 'What's wrong with allowin' me to reassure you?' he asked calmly, sensing his best play was not to rise to any comment that may offend him and remain cool.

Gail hated how unreasonable he could make her sound, but kept her composure. 'Well I'm sure you reassured my Aunt Judy and look how that played out' she advised coldly and smiled when his demeanour finally changed.

'We don't talk about her...' Lucas started to scold her.

'In case we offend you?' Gail interrupted, feeling something dark come over her.

Lucas sensed her mood change instantly and felt his twin rise instinctively below his surface. 'Meanin' what Gail?' he asked seriously, wanting her avoidance of what was truly bothering her to stop.

Gail laughed and shook her head in disbelief of how oblivious he was. 'Your perfect Judith Temple didn't deliver as she was supposed to, I'm assuming that's what got her in the end' she said, not shying away from letting him know of her suspicions.

'And why's that somehow your business now?' Lucas asked in disbelief that this was coming up after they had been married for over a year.

'Because I'm not delivering as true Buck traditions would like, does that mean I'm as naive as Judith?' Gail asked and watched his reaction carefully.

Lucas let out an amused laugh and regarded her coldly. 'Judith wasn't naive and she knew what was comin' Darlin', she just thought she could deny her destiny'

'And the destiny of all women is to appease the almighty Lucas Buck right? I mean there's no other worth to be in being a woman other than to please a man, so why would Judith ever think she could deny that?' Gail stated sarcastically, feeling the rage boiling inside of her.

Lucas turned her around roughly and pushed her against the tree, he did not like the way she was regarding him and his dominant nature took over. 'That's right love, you're only here to please me and there should be no doubt about that' he whispered in her ear and unzipped his pants, yanked up her skirt then thrust his hard manhood inside of her roughly.

Gail let out a pained moan, then laughed. This was her husbands default setting when he did not know how to get his point across, he was lucky that she enjoyed his animal nature and knew deep down that he respected her otherwise there would be dire consequences for his actions. 'Will your little girls only purpose be to please the head of family when you're gone? Just like you used to convince Selena to' she asked coldly, suddenly wanting to hurt him for the lack of respect for women which had clearly be drilled into him by his Father Malcolm.

Lucas thought of his little girl being subjected to what Selena or even Judith had and pulled out his manhood instantly. A wave of anger flowed through him but it was not directed at Gail, he had not considered what a girl in his male dominated family would mean and he now began to wonder how that would play out if Caleb took his place as head of the family.

Gail sensed the rage within him rise, it was stronger than she had ever sensed before and she did not like the look that currently plagued her husbands face. It was evident that something dark was going through his mind and she instinctively pushed him down onto the ground then straddled him, sensing it was not safe for his thoughts to gain root. When she took him inside of her she let out a loud moan and cupped his chin in her hand, to force him to look into her eyes.

Lucas was oblivious to everything around him until he felt himself inside of his love again and his rage began to ease. He let out a long breath when he heard her moan and ran his hands under vest and over her breasts, then squeezed gently to show he was back with her.

Gail smiled when he came back to her and kissed him passionately, it was clear that she her burden had to remain hidden and she would not allow her husband to take on her concern. She broke free of his lips and clawed at his chest through his shirt, when he squeezed her breast hard she nipped at his lips playfully and allowed herself to enjoy their closeness, as he had began to relax fully.

Lucas' previous thoughts had disappeared completely and all he could see was Gail, the waves of pleasure that flowed through him dispelled any ill thoughts and he allowed himself to get lost in her. He manoeuvred her down on the ground so he was on top, taking full control of the action. He pounded in and out of her, sensing her desire for him and bit down hard on her neck when his violent climax hit.

Gail nuzzled her head into his shoulder to stifle her calls as she felt him explode within her, then stroked his head affectionately and kissed his cheek softly. 'So you're taking charge of Caleb's Birthday huh?' she whispered in his ear, ensuring the previous subject was completely changed.

Lucas took in a long breath in an attempt to control his heart rate, then kissed her lips tenderly, rolled over carefully and pulled her to his chest. 'I assumed it's one less task to cross off your list' he panted and kissed her forehead softly.

Gail laughed and ran her hands down his chest slowly. She was no further with her true concerns; however, she acknowledged that he was attempting to assist her and could not scold him for actually trying to make an effort with his son to ease her responsibilities, regardless of whether it undermined her request of Caleb or not.

-To be continued-


	3. Chapter 3

Christie stared at the plump man sat across from her and watched him devour a burger in disgust. It was getting late in the evening and most residents were starting to settle down with their families for dinner; however, the Sheriff's choice for Mayor appeared to require a large starter before he went for his wife's home cooked meal and he disgusted her. As she sat there with her tape recorder in the middle of the table, she wondered what bad thing she had done in a past life to be in this current position and cursed Gail for settling in this sleepy little Town.

'So you see...' Peter spluttered but continued stuffing his face with the burger, '...that's my policy on fire safety and why it's important'

Christie was trying not to take sides in this election, as she was required to cover it while Gail refused report on it; however, the man before her did not fill her with any hope of being able to think for himself, let alone run a Town. 'Wow, what an original idea after the fourth of July celebrations and the fire safety stories written by Gail Buck. You come up with that policy all by yourself?' she asked sarcastically, then bit her lip in frustration at herself for not being able to keep her personal feelings hidden.

Peter smiled jovially and nodded proudly, completely unaware of her disdain for him. 'I most certainly did' he said pleasantly and remembered the speech he had rehearsed with Lucas. 'The protection of our people is paramount and I'm gonna make sure there's nothin' that can disrupt our close community. Fire safety is just the beginnin', I'm also lookin' at more fundin' for our firefighters...'

'What all five of them?' Christie mumbled under her breath and smiled sweetly when Peter did not hear her.

'You see that son?' Lucas asked Caleb casually, as he watched Christie discreetly from a table in the corner of the Diner.

Caleb looked up from his milkshake and glanced in the direction that his Father was staring. 'Christie? What about her?' he asked, uninterested in Gail's friend.

'That woman is a pain in my ass' Lucas said uncharacteristically, not tailoring his language whilst with his children.

'So was Gail at one time' Caleb smirked knowingly, remembering how she was always gunning for Lucas when she first arrived in Trinity.

Lucas turned his attention to his son, amused at his observation and picked up the cup of coffee in front of him. 'The difference with Gail was that she had somethin' to offer, still does in fact, but that busybody over there ain't got nothin' to offer me except a headache' he advised, choosing not to shy away from the truth with his son.

Caleb thought for a moment, then glanced over his shoulder at Christie and sensed her lack of interest in Peter. 'She don't really wanna be here, she's just doin' her job so what's the problem?' he asked curiously.

'The whole point of a Reporter is to report on things objectively, do you see Gail's true feelin's seeping into her interviews?' Lucas laughed and shook his head at his son's oblivious nature.

Caleb was not supposed to read Gail's articles, especially when they related to something serious; however, that never stopped him from sneaking the newspaper after his Father had discarded it and it was true that his Step Mother always kept her opinions out of her stories. 'Christie ain't Gail' he shrugged disinterested, then placed his straw in his mouth and sucked hard until he could taste his milkshake.

Lucas let out a long sigh at the boy's disinterest in what was bothering him, then grabbed Luke's hand knowingly when his youngest tried to discreetly reach for a knife on the table. 'Luke's got the right idea' he smiled proudly, imagining his son digging the knife into Christie's neck.

Caleb glanced at Luke jealously, then back to his Father. 'If she's botherin' you that much just do somethin' about it and be done with it' he said, not understanding why this appeared complicated to his Father.

Lucas read his thoughts and leaned in close to his son, willing him to use his brain. 'You think your Step Mother would react well to my interference with her oldest dearest friend?' he asked sarcastically.

'Dr Matt's her dearest friend and how would she actually know? She ain't here' Caleb asked, curious as to what was holding his Father back.

Lucas signalled towards the closed door of the Diner, before pulling Luke to his knee impatiently to prevent the boy from trying to obtain every sharp object on their table.

Caleb turned towards the door and saw Gideon through the glass, his yellow eyes focused intently on their table. When the dog barred his teeth at him maliciously, Caleb's body shuddered uncontrollably and he backed up towards the window.

'She always knows when it comes to me Son, just like I know exactly what she's up to' Lucas advised, then turned his attention back to Christie and Peter.

Caleb watched Gideon cautiously, the looked at his Father who did not appear to be concerned about the vicious dog. 'So what are you gonna do?' he asked, attempting to sound unafraid.

Lucas leaned back in his chair and smiled devilishly. 'Oh I ain't doin' anythin' with that's mutt's attention on me Son, but if you decide to take advantage of your Step Mom's trust and lack of surveillance, I can't stop you' he shrugged and nodded proudly when he saw the boy's understanding finally begin to show.

* * *

Selena walked down the long aisle's of her local Florist, in search of a suitable plant for her classroom. Her students were getting older and she was required to start teaching something more advanced; therefore, she had decided to start with biology and thought that having a plant to focus on may help her students understanding the concept of the subject more.

Her job was becoming increasingly difficult with her students growing up. Usually a School would have a different Teacher for every year; however, Lucas had convinced the education committee to allow Teachers to teach different grades, suggesting it was less of a transition for the children when they moved up each year and less costly for the School board. It was obviously a ploy to ensure she could watch Caleb until he was required to move up to High School and she had been happy to go along with the plan previously, until he left her for Gail and her life spiralled out of control.

Selena was past her resentment for her nemesis and her anger was directed solely at Lucas, partly because Gail did not react well when challenged. Unlike Lucas, Gail did not appear to be concerned about being seen when her anger surfaced and she was starting to understand his draw to the woman. When she thought back to Gail nearly killing her by pushing her into the Trinity River a few years earlier and how her nemesis showed no remorse, it was clear that Gail shared certain qualities with Lucas regardless of how sweet and innocent the woman acted. It made it difficult for her to mess with the woman when there was a real chance that she would do some serious damage to her.

Selena turned right after finding nothing suitable for her class and let out a small laugh when she spotted the lovely Mrs Buck part way down the aisle, looking as radiant as always. She could not believe her bad luck and turned to head back the way she came, until she felt her eyes on her.

'Do you really need to avoid me that much?' Gail asked knowingly, as she casually reviewed the packs of seeds on the shelf in front of her.

Selena inhaled deeply and approached her nemesis slowly, feeling her bitterness rising as she spotted Gail's small bump due to the tight white vest that she was wearing. 'Shouldn't you be resting?' she asked flatly, noticing the small specks of mud on her vest and knowing Lucas would not want his most treasured possession doing any actual work.

'I'll sleep when I'm dead' Gail said bluntly and turned towards the slender woman behind her. 'What brings you to a place like this? I didn't take you for a gardener'

'I need something for my classroom, something that doesn't require much attention but will make the children feel like they have some responsibility' Selena shrugged, glancing down the aisle and having no idea what she was looking for.

Gail saw the confused and frustrated look on Selena's face, then took her arm and led her closer to the back of the Store. Selena was harmless and at one time they had almost become friends, until the woman ruined it by trying to get Lucas back. Lucas had paid for that just as much as Selena had and they were both lucky that her darkness was not at it's full strength when the incident took place.

Selena allowed herself to be led, but remained unsure of her nemesis. They had a strange relationship these days, one minute Gail was willing to help her and the next she would allow Lucas to play his games with her. It appeared the Gail she was with today was attempting to assist her; however, she still ensured that she watched her carefully in case her behaviour changed.

'Here, you either want a Spider Plant or a Cactus. Neither requires much actual care and they both last a long time' Gail advised, then started back towards the seeds that she had been reviewing.

Selena stared at both plants, then glanced at her retreating nemesis and suddenly felt alone. 'I don't know what to do' she said subconsciously, then held her fingers to her lips at the honest statement and tried to stand tall as though her genuine emotions had not seeped through.

Gail stopped at the vulnerable undertone of Selena's words and slowly turned to face her. She could see the loneliness in the woman's eyes clearly, she had been abandoned by everyone that she held close and it was a pathetic sight to behold. 'You want them both' Gail said flatly, more bothered by the weakness Selena was displaying rather than her actual feelings.

Selena nodded obediently and picked up both plants, trying not to look at her nemesis. She could feel the weakness radiating off of herself and an unusual feeling of helplessness began to flow through her.

'Are you just going to stand there or are you going to help me choose what to plant at Abe's before I go stir crazy?' Gail asked dominantly, refusing to acknowledge Selena's sorrow and deciding to allow her to join her before she had to head home to her boys.

Selena gave herself a mental shake and sauntered over to Gail, thankful for the woman's lack of acknowledgement of her weak feelings. 'Lucas is allowing you to work in your condition?' she asked curiously, choosing to accept the companionship if only for a little while.

'Lucas is not the boss of me Selena, you know better than that' Gail laughed amused at the woman's statement, then shook her head at the amount of different seeds she had to choose from and let out a long sigh.

* * *

Christie sat behind her desk and stared at the article she had written on the computer screen in front of her, it stank of failure and the words on the screen infuriated her when she read them. Peter had given nothing to go on except his fire safety campaign and his inflated sense of importance grated on her, so much so that she could not continue reading her article without wanting to scream out in frustration.

'Gail doesn't react like that' Caleb stated calmly, as he slowly approached her desk and read her thoughts.

Christie looked up from the computer screen and stared at Caleb suspiciously, then let out a small laugh when she realised that she must have been talking out loud. 'Well your Cousin doesn't have to write something that she doesn't believe in' she advised him irritably, then stood up from her seated position and stretched.

'My Step Mom won't write anythin' she doesn't want to, she's got more integrity than that' Caleb corrected her, getting irritated at people referring to Gail as his Cousin when she was so much more than that now.

Christie regarded him carefully for a moment, not sure whether to challenge the relationship to his Cousin first or to just shoot down the whole statement; however, she did not want to cause any friction with her best friend now that they were finally back together, so she just smiled at him pleasantly. 'Gail can do what she wants as she's got much deeper ties here then I ever could, her parents were the Editors of the previous newspaper and she's married to the Sheriff of Trinity for God's sake' she advised, not willing to acknowledge his delusion of Gail as his Step Mother.

Caleb sensed her suspicion of him and smiled innocently, knowing exactly how to break down her guard. Lucas had provided him with some information on the drive over here; however, he had searched her thoughts for other useful titbits without the assistance of his Father. 'Gail doesn't need ties or roots, she didn't allow her Editor in Charleston to tell her what to do and she started with nothin' there...It's her drive and determination that leads her, she has the confidence to say what she believes in and I guess you just don't' he shrugged and perched on her desk when she backed away from him warily.

Christie felt herself become agitated, it was true Gail had always gotten her way in Charleston and at one time that had really bothered her; however, she had gotten over her envy of her friend always getting her way and she was curious as to what this visit was really about, considering Caleb had not shown any real interest in her previously. 'It's late, what are you doing here Caleb? Shouldn't you be at home by now?' she asked, watching his movements carefully.

Caleb continued to smile innocently, knowing she would never believe him to be an actual threat. 'I saw you earlier with that Mayor guy and you didn't look happy, I was worried and wanted to make sure you were OK is all' he said warmly and kept smiling his disarming smile.

Christie let out a long sigh, then shook her head at her own misplaced suspicion and smiled sweetly at him. 'He's a candidate, not the actual Mayor and he's an ass...I didn't know you were there, I could've used you to get away sooner' she laughed, then sat down beside him on the desk.

'I didn't wanna interrupt you there, I thought it was best to come check on you on my way home rather than disturb Gail in her condition' he lied, then glanced over his shoulder at the computer screen. 'If you don't like him, why are you writin' that nice stuff?' he asked casually and regarded her curiously.

'Because that's how I'm supposed to report' Christie explained, frustrated with her job.

'Gail wouldn't' Caleb shrugged and sensed her irritation instantly.

'Gail won't take the story...' Christie started.

'Cause she won't lie' Caleb interjected and stared up at her with wide innocent eyes, as if he had no idea of his insulting comments.

Christie felt herself ready to snap, then took a deep breath to calm herself down so not to shout at a child that was not hers. 'You know what? I've had enough of this for the day, do you need a ride?' she asked him and went to stand up; however, he gripped her wrist tight.

'You ain't finished yet' Caleb advised in a controlling voice unlike his own, then stood up and leaned close to her. 'Tell the truth Christie, she'll respect you more if you do and imagine how proud she would be of you' he whispered in her ear, knowing what Christie really craved was acceptance from her best friend.

Christie looked into his deep blue eyes and suddenly felt the urge to keep writing. She gently pushed him to one side and sat back down behind her desk, before downing her cup of coffee and typing intently.

Caleb smiled devilishly as she began to type faster, then turned around and headed out of the office to tell his Father of his achievement.

* * *

Gail sat on her side porch with Selena and took a large drag of the cigarette that her unlikely companion had been smoking.

'Whoa, I'm not sure your husband will approve of your actions Mrs Buck' Selena laughed and took a large sip of the prosecco that Gail had given her.

'Well thankfully he's late, otherwise I'd be in the dog house' Gail smiled and stared longingly at the wine glass in Selena's hand.

'You want some of this? It tastes pretty damn fine' Selena goaded and pushed the glass closer to her nemesis.

'Now that would really get me into trouble' Gail advised seriously, knowing it was Selena's natural instinct to sabotage her and took another drag of the cigarette before handing it back.

Selena watched curiously as Gail got up and placed her hands on the porch rail, then stared out into the dark garden before them. She had not expected her nemesis to invite her onto the property and she wondered where her sudden change in behaviour was coming from.

'I'm not the one who screwed over a potential friendship with the only woman willing to accept her faults by trying to go down on her husband' Gail said calmly, sensing her thoughts.

'He wasn't your husband at the time and since when do you have his uncanny talent of reading minds?' Selena asked knowingly, as she got up out of the chair and sauntered towards her.

Gail glanced at her amused for a moment, not used to someone calling her out on her talents, then rolled her eyes in mock boredom and continued to survey the garden. She had been experiencing a strange sense of being watched all day and would not admit it, but she was happy for Selena's company while she tried to locate her apparent stalker. 'How did you get here Selena?' she asked casually and wondered whether the woman had it in her to confess her sins.

Selena looked at Gail for a moment, then leaned against the porch rail and let out a long sigh. 'That's a long story which starts with your husband and his animal urges' she advised cattily, unable to help herself.

'Not with you discovering your sexuality through your Father, which ultimately led to your Mothers suicide?' Gail asked coldly, remembering Rosemary's visit to Selena's Father before he overdosed.

Selena stared at Gail in horror and her jaw dropped open at the question. Lucas swore he would never tell and she felt a new found hatred for her previous love.

'Current love, who do you think you're fooling? And Lucas didn't tell me anything about you...Contrary to what you might believe, me and my husband have no use for bringing you up in conversation' Gail advised, amused at the woman's misguided sense of importance.

'You know nothing' Selena snapped, unable to piece together any other sentence.

'I know more than you think, thanks to a close friend of mine who got to know your Father very well before he died' Gail smiled at the memory of the needles Rosemary handed to Selena's late Mother, before locking Selena's Father in the church with her.

Selena heard the engine of Lucas' Crown Victoria pull into the drive and shook her head in disgust at Gail. 'You think it's funny to tag team me here? You're just as bad as he is!' she accused through gritted teeth, then stormed out of the property angrily.

'Oh come on Selena' Gail called confused, truly not intending to hurt her and being so distracted by her surveillance of the property to realise that she had taken the matter too far.

Lucas got exited the vehicle as Selena stormed past him and left Caleb to get Luke out of the car, while he made his way to his wife. 'Strange choice of guest love' he stated amused and regarded her curiously.

'Well I'd rather be with her than be stuck here alone all night' Gail snapped, more frustrated at herself than him, then turned around and headed indoors.

'Somethin' you said?' Caleb asked amused, still buzzing from his success with Christie.

'Women' Lucas shrugged casually, then took Luke from Caleb and headed inside to find Gail.

-To be continued-


	4. Chapter 4

Lucas was awoken by the front door closing and rolled over in his bed, confused at the disturbance. He sensed Caleb had chosen to ride to School rather than waking them for a lift and he smiled mischievously at his sleeping wife, who rested peacefully with her back to him. Lucas glanced at Luke's crib to confirm his youngest was still asleep, then gently stroked Gail's arm causing her to roll onto her back and moved under their silk sheets.

Gail awoke abruptly at the feel of something brushing against the inside of her thigh and tensed. She had been having a strange dream about being stalked by a faceless monster and her mind was still trapped in that dark setting, until she realised what was happening and she came back to reality.

Lucas felt her tense and kissed the inside of her thigh softly, then trailed his tongue over her skin slowly and spread her legs gently. He smiled to himself when she showed no resistance, then licked her sweet spot teasingly and made patterns with his tongue in the way he knew she liked. The unique taste of her when she was pregnant was exquisite and he devoured her slowly, wanting to take his time to savour her as much as he could while they were undisturbed.

Gail let out a small moan and shook her head disapprovingly at herself for allowing this delay tactic. After having the previous day off work she had a busy day ahead of her and this was Lucas' attempt to prevent her from getting on with her tasks. When he pushed his tongue deeper inside of her she gripped the bed sheets tight and tried to keep her volume low, so not to wake Luke and resigned herself to what was to come.

Lucas played this way for a while enjoying keeping her on the edge of her release, then when his own desires became too much he brought her to her climax effortlessly and climbed on top of her. 'Good mornin' Mrs Buck' he smiled seductively when his head popped out from under the sheets and kissed her passionately.

Gail savoured the taste of his tongue in her mouth, she could not get enough of him when he got like this and his desire for her only seemed to increase in her current condition. 'Careful Master Buck, you don't want to wear out your wife before she's even gotten out of bed for the day' she whispered and nipped at his ear playfully.

'Oh on the contrary, I wanna tire her out completely so she stays in bed all day waitin' for me to come home and satisfy her later' he replied charmingly and bit her neck ravenously, then moved his mouth to her ample breasts.

Gail could not hold in her loud moan as Lucas ran his tongue over her nipples teasingly and glanced towards Luke's cot, to ensure they had not disturbed him. It was getting harder to keep their volume down these days and their Son was starting to appeared curious as to why he had to remain in his cot for so long in the mornings. 'So that's your plan? Keep me bound in this bed waiting hopelessly for my love to return?' she laughed quietly, amused at the audacity of the statement.

Lucas stared up at her longingly then smiled devilishly, before turning her onto her stomach carefully and parting her legs with his knees. 'Would that be so bad? Your life would be so much easier if you just obeyed and I wouldn't have to concern myself with what you were gettin' up to' he advised and nipped at her bare shoulder playfully.

Gail could not help but smile at his misguided way for thinking and pushed her behind back into him teasingly. 'I don't know, I could get bored waiting here to be serviced and just take care of myself. That way I'd be satisfied and still have time to get into all sorts of crazy things while my husband was at work' she suggested in an innocent tone, then gripped the pillow tight when he pushed himself against her.

'You know better than that love...if I suspected you were takin' liberties yourself, I wouldn't let you outta my sight and our intimate exchanges would have to become more frequent' he advised in a mock scolding manner, pushing down his strong urge to take her roughly and controlling his emotions.

'You mean more frequent than the multiple intimate exchanges that already take place on a daily basis? I wouldn't be walking for a week' Gail joked, then reached behind her to tangle her hand in his hair and willed him to just take her.

Lucas sensed her longing and kissed the back of her neck softly, before trailing his fingers up the inside of her thigh and preparing to push deep inside of her.

Suddenly the telephone on the bedside table rang loudly and Luke popped up in his cot, rubbing his tired eyes frantically. 'Momma?' he asked confused and glanced at the large bed where his Father appeared over his Mother.

Lucas closed his eyes in anger and let out a frustrated sigh. 'I do believe that's for you love' he said knowingly, unable to hide the frustration from his tone and lay back on the bed.

Gail glanced at him confused for a moment, then gave Luke a reassuring wave and picked up the telephone. 'Hello?...Mark? You need me to what?...but I thought Christie was covering...she did what?...Look, just shut up and I'll be there as soon as I can' she sighed impatiently then hung up the telephone, lay back down beside Lucas and stared up at the ceiling in frustration.

'Friend issues Darlin'?' Lucas asked smugly.

'If this is you then you'll be servicing yourself for a month' she warned, unimpressed at the orders she had just received from her Editor and got out of the bed to get a shower, leaving Lucas to deal with Luke.

* * *

Caleb sat in the overly bright classroom with his forehead on the desk, thinking of anywhere else that he would like to be right now. Miss Coombs was running late and he had lost all interest in trying to impress his Step Mother after neglecting the task she had given him yesterday; therefore, he was considering the options available to him before his Teacher turned up.

A tall dark haired woman walked into the classroom and addressed the class of children sternly. 'Miss Coombs has called in sick today so I'll be her substitute...where does she keep the register?' she asked abruptly and glanced at the desk at the head of the class when some children pointed at it obediently.

Caleb lifted up his head at the sound of the unknown voice, then caught a glimpse of a dark figure outside underneath a tree. He smiled mischievously when he realised who was watching him and concentrated hard on Miss Coombs' top drawer, then felt it lock securely.

The tall woman walked over to the desk and reached for the top drawer, when it would not open she tried the other two drawers beneath it; however, she could not locate the register. 'I guess I'm going to have to assume you're all present, is anyone missing?' she asked the class suspiciously.

Boone had spotted Caleb duck under his desk and crawl to the back of the classroom, he just caught him rush quietly out of the door before the substitute Teacher focused her gaze on him and regarded him suspiciously. 'Everyone's here ma'am' Boone lied nervously, then stared down at his hands in the hopes that she would not question him further.

Caleb sensed Boone had covered for him and smiled to himself as he walked down the empty corridor towards the exit. He started to head towards the figure under the tree, then thought for a moment and turned back towards the School. He sensed the figure urging him to come closer; however, Caleb had other plans and rushed back into the School in an attempt to locate Rose.

The dark figure watched as the disobedient boy followed his childish desires and let out a long frustrated sigh, unimpressed that the boy still repelled his influence. The boy was too much like his Father and he was in much need of some stern discipline.

'And if I ever find out that you delivered it, you'll be in for a far worse world of pain than you already are' Lucas warned, as he appeared behind the figure irritated at his failure to heed his previous warning. Before he had a chance to reach for the interfering ass, he disappeared and all he was left with was two truanting children running straight towards him.

* * *

Gail had picked up Merlyn on her way into the Town centre and sat with her on the couch in her office at the Trinity Guardian headquarters. She stared at Christie's insulting article about Lucas' candidate in disbelief, then threw it down in agitation and began pacing her office irritated.

'I'm sure she didn't mean to be this brazen' Merlyn tried to be the voice of reason, then decided it was better to remain silent when she spotted the look of thunder in her cousins eyes.

'I can't believe she'd be that stupid, whatever possessed her to publicly attack a man without any evidence to back up her claims?' Gail asked to no-one in particular, then stood straight when Mark entered her office.

Mark nodded pleasantly towards the young girl who was once Gail's apprentice, then regarded his head Reporter cautiously. 'I know you wanted to take a backseat on this one...' he started.

'I'm not covering the election' Gail interrupted sternly, walking towards the large window in her office and staring down at the street below her longing to be out of this room.

Mark looked at M for help and when she just shrugged he inhaled deeply, then attempted to pull rank. 'You'll do what you're paid for' he advised, trying to sound dominant and in control of the situation.

'Then I quit' Gail stated bluntly, calling his bluff.

'You will not!' Mark snapped like a child spitting his dummy out and ran his hand through his hair in frustration. 'Look, I know you're backin' the other guy and I know you don't wanna sway voters, but you can't be more opinionated than Christie's already been with that article and you're the only one I can trust to report factually without bias on any subject'

Gail let out a long sigh and shook her head in exasperation, she could not believe that Christie had referred to Lucas' horse as an uneducated puppet who relied on others to give him order, or that this had not been picked up before the article had been published. Christie knew that she was having a hard time juggling her responsibilities with being pregnant and that Mark would put pressure on her to deliver if Christie could not. Mark was not this issue here, this request of his was obvious and her friend had well and truly screwed her over.

'I don't ask much of you Gail. I let you come and go as you please without question, but I need your old reliable self here' Mark pleaded, not wanting to come down on someone in her condition like this.

Gail read his thoughts and her back instantly came up at the insinuation that she may be sensitive due to her pregnancy. 'I'll do what you want, I always do in the end don't I?' she snapped irritated and continued to stare at the world outside, not allowing her anger to come through the surface.

Merlyn signalled for Mark to leave, then approached her cousin cautiously. 'Do you need me to do anythin'? she asked, trying to help the best that she could.

'Go back in time and gag my supposed friend' Gail sighed, then picked up the telephone and called an acquaintance of Lucas' that she met a few months ago to arrange a meeting with Peter.

* * *

Caleb sat on the bonnet of Lucas' Crown Victoria with his feet dangling just off the ground, he discreetly watched Rose who was sat beside him and was mesmerised by her golden blonde hair blowing freely in the warm breeze. He felt a strange sensation come over him and his darkness began to rise within him, urging him to let go of his inhibitions; however, he shook off the unwelcome urge and stared down at his feet nervously.

Lucas stood outside of the Diner with two ice cream cones in his hand, watching his eldest curiously. He sensed the boys desire, which was only a fraction of what he felt for Gail; however, it was clearly enough to tempt the boys dark half out of it's cage and it was amusing to watch the boy being so awkward.

'I can't believe you're allowed outta class' Rose said, not liking the strange silence that had been going on since the Sheriff left them.

'I wouldn't say I'm allowed, but my Daddy don't mind what I do' Caleb shrugged coolly, sensing that she was a little impressed with his spontaneous actions.

'What about Gail? My Mom would go spare if she knew I was here ditchin'' Rose advised, glancing around the area quickly to ensure that there was no one her Mother knew spying on them.

'I guess that's a Mom thing, but what they don't know won't hurt them or us' Lucas winked at her playfully, as he approached the pair and handed them an ice cream cone each.

'You'd lie to your wife?' Rose asked curiously, unsure of whether she should be aligning herself with the boys.

'He wouldn't dare' Gail stated bluntly, then shot Lucas an unimpressed glance when she approached the group.

Caleb froze instantly at the sound of Gail's voice and kept his eyes on the ground, realising that he was busted.

'Mrs Buck, I didn't expect to see you around these parts at this time of day' Lucas said charmingly and pulled Gail to him, then kissed her passionately in front of the children.

Gail allowed him to remain in control for a moment, then casually broke free of his grasp and turned her attention to Caleb. 'Well I was treating my cousin to a well earned brunch for keeping my anger levels in check after the betrayal of my oldest friend, imagine my surprise when I spotted a young boy who should be in School casually sitting on my husbands care without a care in the world' she said sarcastically and smiled warmly at Rose to show that this was not going to come down on her.

Caleb inhaled deeply and felt a surge of confidence flow through him as he became aware of his dark friends presence close by. He jumped off the bonnet casually and stared up at Gail defiantly, not worried about the scolding undertone of her comment. 'Miss Coombs didn't bother to show up so why should I make an effort?' he asked bluntly.

Gail looked down at Caleb is disbelief at his disobedient attitude, then felt Lucas' hand on her arm and suddenly became aware of a strange presence in the near vicinity.

Regardless of how hard his son tried to mask it, Lucas was fully aware of the interfering presence that clung to his son recently; however, he had chosen to keep this from his love so not to cause her concern and was going to deal with it himself, when he figured out what the ass was up to. He sensed Gail was aware of that presence now, so when she pulled her arm free of his grasp abruptly and stared at him with a look of distrust, he knew he was in for a world of hurt.

'I guess Christie isn't the only one I need to worry about betraying my hospitality' Gail advised forcing a calm tone, attempting to hide her hurt at discovering he had clearly been hiding something from her.

'He didn't do nothin', I'm the one talkin' to you' Caleb interjected, not appreciating being ignored.

Before Lucas had a chance to warn his son about the interruption, Gail turned towards Caleb and leaned in close. 'I dare you to really take a shot' she whispered in his ear with a hint of malice in her tone, then stared deep into his eyes and willed him to show his hand.

Caleb felt his darkness rising and was unable to pull it back, before he could get himself under control he was yanked back into his subconscious and watching like a passenger through his own eyes. 'I don't need to take a shot at you, I got my Daddy for that...you think that girl inside of you can take me on?' he asked coldly and smiled wickedly at her.

Lucas closed his eyes and let out a long sigh at the boy's slip of the tongue, then sensed Rosemary fly to Gail's surface and released his own twin to hold her back.

Gail felt herself frozen on the spot and let out a small laugh, she sensed Lucas' twin holding Rosemary back and shook her head in disappointment at her fears finally being confirmed about her husband not siding with her when it truly counted. 'If I were you, I'd stand down before everything really falls about' she said sweetly to no one in particular, still aware of Rose's presence on Lucas' car.

Caleb was about to protest to the comment when he felt a strong hand grip his arm and he was pushed back against the car roughly.

'No-one's standin' up against anyone here, we're all just one big happy family' Lucas advised calmly, inserting his dominance against Caleb and attempting to reason with his love.

Gail stared at her husband for a moment when she felt her body released, not allowing her true fury to show in front of Rose. She was disappointed that she had been right all along about where his loyalties lied and it was taking all of her strength not to react.

Lucas reached up to stroke her cheek reassuringly then shook his head in anger when she turned away from him abruptly and walked back towards her car, grabbing Rose gently by the arm and dragging her along with her.

'Why'd you let her take Rose?' Caleb asked angrily, wanting to get his friend back.

Lucas inhaled deeply in an attempt to control his rage, then grabbed Caleb by the scruff of his neck and threw him into the front passenger side of his car. 'You need to be more concerned about how we're supposed to celebrate your birthday in a civilised manner when your Step Mom has just shut us both out' he snapped irritated, then slammed the door hard and headed to the drivers side of his car.

* * *

Merlyn poured boiling water from the kettle into two large mugs, then stirred the tea bags for a moment before discarding them and carefully carrying to mugs into the entrance area of her sanctuary. She placed the mugs on the table and indicated for Rose to take one, as the girl sat nervously not knowing what to do with herself.

'How's your Mother?' Gail asked quietly, picking up the hot drink and sitting back on the couch in the middle of the room, to enable Stacey to crawl onto her lap.

Rose watched as the strange young girl sat peacefully on Gail's knee and snuggled into her chest. 'She's alive' Rose shrugged, then regarded Gail curiously. 'Is this the girl that Caleb was talkin' about? He was acting a little strange'

'When was he acting strange and what did he say about a girl?' Merlyn asked, concerned at what she had missed when she was waiting in Gail's car earlier.

Gail laughed and moved a stray strand of hair from Stacey's eyes, to enable her to survey the room. 'My girl's safe and warm in here' she stroked her stomach protectively, then shot Merlyn a look of warning when she sensed she was going to say something that she should not in front of Rose. 'Has your Mother remembered what started the fire yet? It'd be a great follow up to my previous article' she asked Rose, trying to establish whether the woman was aware it was Caleb who nearly got her killed or so blinded by her attraction to her husband to disregard that fact.

Rose shook her head slowly and reached for her drink. 'She just remembers Caleb gettin' her out, he can't do no wrong with her right now...not like me' she sighed sadly and took a cautious sip of her drink.

Merlyn glanced at Gail confused at her line of questioning, then stood up and walked towards the window onlooking the street.

'You're a smart, talented girl and you can do no wrong in my eyes so I guess you're even' Gail smiled at Rose warmly, remembering how it felt not being able to please her Father no matter how she tried and wanting the girl to feel better, then gently pushed Stacey off of her and followed Merlyn to the window.

'I don't know what's worse, your concern about what a woman remembers about a freak fire or the fact that you're carryin' a girl' Merlyn whispered, not wanting the other girls in the room to pry into their business.

Gail placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder and stroked her back gently. 'I can handle both of those things, you just concern yourself with this place and let me work'

Merlyn ran her hand through her hair and shook her head when she thought of the dark look in her Brothers eyes when Gail was first pregnant. 'He's gettin' older Gail, it's his Birthday soon and I don't like what he's becomin'. Maybe you should go to Nashville like you did when you were pregnant with Luke, you said Lucas has already chosen his side' she suggested, truly worried about her cousins safety.

Gail let out a long sigh, then turned to face the two young girls watching them curiously and smiled warmly at them. 'Lucas wouldn't let anything happen to me' she said calmly, her demeanour remaining unchanged in front of the children.

'Lucas is a Buck and it's bad enough that tradition was broken with another boy. You're carryin' a girl Gail, I don't know what that means but it ain't good and Lucas is loyal to somethin' terrible' Merlyn advised, not knowing what the man truly was but knowing that it was bad.

'Lucas is bound to be me in ways you couldn't imagine and even I don't understand...My husband is loyal as long as I am' she explained quietly, unsure of whether she was trying to reassure Merlyn or herself.

'And if he lets Caleb loose?' Merlyn asked, suspecting Lucas could not ignore his true desire for his son to turn.

'Then I'll kill them all or die trying' Gail advised coldly, then headed back towards the girls and putting the dark thoughts out of her mind.

-To be continued-


	5. Chapter 5

Three days had gone by since Caleb's turn outside of the Diner and Lucas was becoming agitated with the state of his family life. He had managed to convince Caleb to push down his dark urges for the time being; however, he still sensed the intruding presence on his property just outside of his reach and cursed the boy for allowing it close.

On top of all of that, Gail was not behaving like her usual self. His wife was pleasant and performed all of her duties inside and outside of the bedroom to an acceptable standard; however, there was a falseness about her that he did not care for and he sensed her guard was up at all times.

Lucas watched his love as she mashed the food on his youngest sons plate carefully, she was as radiant as ever; however, she could not hide the coldness beneath her surface and he had hoped that she would return to normal for this occasion. 'What's your plans for the day?' he asked curiously, as he read through the article she had written on his candidate for Mayor. After Christie had slandered Peter, Gail was left to pick up the pieces and had to write an article which showed him in a positive light.

'You tell me dear, it's our boy's Birthday today and you were planning the festivities' Gail forced a sweet smile, then went to the refrigerator and poured Caleb a tall glass of milk.

'Can I open my presents?' Caleb asked his Father excitedly, then let out a long sigh when Lucas shot him a look of warning for interrupting the conversation.

'Has Mark got you coverin' anythin' or are you free to spend the day with your family?' Lucas asked calmly, becoming agitated at trying again to get a proper answer out of her.

'No dear, Mark has left my schedule free for whatever you require of me' she advised sweetly, then handed Caleb his glass of milk and ruffled his hair affectionately.

Caleb could not tell whether Gail was still mad at him or whether she had chosen to disregard his previous behaviour due to his Birthday; however, he was not about to question her when she appeared in a good mood and smiled warmly up at her.

Gail forced her demeanour to remain welcoming when Caleb smiled at her; however, she felt a sharp pain in her stomach whenever she was close to him and sensed that Gideon was close by. She had decided that she would not allow the boys in her family to find any reason to doubt her commitment, therefore, she remained the good housewife and Mother that they had become accustomed to until she figured out her best course of action.

'Gail?' Lucas asked sensing her thoughts were not with them, then folded up the newspaper and threw it gently on the table.

'Yes dear?' she asked in a pleasant tone and turned her full attention towards her husband.

'What do you want to do today?' he asked slowly as though he was speaking to a child, leaving no room for misinterpretation.

'Whatever you'd like me to do dear' Gail stated obediently, then smiled smugly when he got up from the table and slammed the Kitchen door as he headed out of the room.

'Can I open a present?' Caleb asked her hopefully, disregarding his Fathers abrupt exit and focusing on what he really wanted to do.

Gail turned to Caleb and stroked his cheek softly, forcing a pleasant smile . 'You're a Buck man of the house, so who am I to stop you?' she said sarcastically, then pushed him gently towards the Study and let out a long exasperated sigh when she was finally left alone with Luke, the only member of this family that she actually trusted right now.

* * *

Selena stood outside of Abe's Antique Store confidently, not caring who saw her when she was supposedly ill. Upon reflection of her previous visit to the Buck Mansion a few days earlier, she realised that she may have overreacted when the man of the house returned and was curious as to why her nemesis had been entertaining her presence. Gail had not visited her after she had called in sick to work, which was unexpected as she had thought her nemesis would wonder why she had chosen to play truant. Selena had waited three days for any sign of contact, when this did not come she decided to take the matter to Gail.

'You gonna hover out here all day?' Abe asked, as he came out of his Store and regarded Lucas' ex disapprovingly. He had never bothered himself with Selena, the woman was always too desperate for his friends attention to become an acceptable public mate of Lucas'; however, his Rosie always had a strange soft spot for her and that concerned him deeply, knowing how vindictive this woman could be.

Selena looked Abraham up and down then laughed, she had never really been privy to a proper conversation with this man and part of her resented him for how close he had always been to her true love. 'I'll be here as long as I want old man, it's not as though I'm scaring away the customers' she said cattily and continued to stand tall in her short tight dress, as though she ruled the place.

Abe regarded her with disbelief and laughed, amused at her attempt to project confidence. Lucas confided in him about all sorts of things and Selena's issues were something that he was well aware of. 'Get down off your pedestal, there ain't no husbands for you to tempt away from their wives here' he advised smugly, knowing her power lied with men stupid enough to throw away their loyalties for her.

Selena turned towards the old man and narrowed her eyes at him coldly. 'You think you can talk to me like that and get away with it?' she asked threateningly, sauntering over to the frail old man and towering over him in her heels.

'Of course he can, he's my Uncle and Lucas Bucks best friend' Gail advised flatly, stepping between the pair dominantly. 'Besides, it's not as though his statement isn't true'

Abe smiled at the sight of his Rosie and his demeanour softened. He watched as she stared at Selena without an ounce of fear and stroked her back affectionately, before reaching for Luke who was clinging to his Mothers chest. 'I thought you'd be out for the eldest's Birthday' he said, confused at her appearance today.

Gail held Selena's gaze for a moment sensing the woman's anger, then rolled her eyes at her false sense of superiority and turned towards her Uncle. 'I've been given a reprieve from the daytime activities, Caleb decided he wants something small key so Lucas has collected a few of his friends and is entertaining them as we speak' she smiled, sensing her Uncle's concern at her sudden appearance.

'Lucky you, you comin' in to keep me company then?' Abe asked hopefully, shooting a distrustful glance at Selena and wanted his loved ones to keep far away from her.

Gail glances over her shoulder at her husbands ex, then let out a small sigh and shook her head. 'I can't stay too long, I'm sorting out the evening festivities...could you do me a favour and watch Luke for a little while?' she asked sweetly, smiling at him reassuringly when he shot her a suspicious glare.

'I reckon I can' Abe sighed, then took the young boy inside his Store sensing his Mother needed some space.

'That old man is a pitbull' Selena stated cautiously, watching Abe as he left them.

'Only when it comes to me' Gail let out a small laugh, then signalled for Selena to follow her to the Wicca Store.

Selena stared up at the dark Store beside Abraham's and watched curiously as the front door appeared to open on it's own without Gail touching it, a trick befitting of her ex. When she went to enter she felt a strong invisible barrier in front of her and sensed a dark presence coming from within the property, causing her to freeze on the spot.

'Don't tell me you're afraid of a few bits of witch memorabilia?' Gail asked amused at her caution, then signalled for Selena to enter.

Selena remained frozen for a moment, then she felt the barrier lift and was pulled abruptly into the Wicca Store. 'What is this place?' she asked shaken.

'My wedding gift...surely you've come across my husbands Mothers pride and joy?' Gail asked sarcastically, watching Selena carefully.

'Lucas' Mother?' Selena asked in shock, then glanced around the place in wonder when she realised what this place was.

Gail laughed and shook her head in disbelief. 'I just assumed you two were close enough for him to share this place with you, I guess years of service weren't enough for him to truly confide in you' she shrugged, then paced around the main entrance and ran her fingers over the old bookcases dotted around the place. She sensed a strong malevolent force in the room, it appeared Selena's unsuspected presence had disturbed something and Gail's curiosity spiked.

Selena felt herself become angry at the insinuation that she was never close to Lucas, she had known him for years and what they had shared was special.

'Special enough for him to drop you as soon as a better candidate came along?' Gail asked nonchalantly, reading her thoughts effortlessly.

'Just wait until yet another candidate shows up, we'll see how long the lovely Mrs Buck lasts then' Selena snapped bitterly, not liking Gail's apparent lack of interest or respect in her relationship with Lucas.

'I wish' Gail laughed, then heard a small thud and turned towards a book that lay abandoned on the floor between two bookcases.

'You won't be saying that when it happens, that man has a short attention span' Selena added and felt her anger increase when her nemesis just disappeared between two bookcases at the statement.

Gail knelt down carefully to pick up the small dark faded book, then turned it over curiously in her hand. The old blank cover was badly scratched and severely beaten; however, upon quick inspection, the pages of the book appeared intact and she tucked it into the back of her skirt discreetly for later review when she was not being watched.

Selena was becoming suspicious of Gail's silence and approached the bookcases she had disappeared between, she gasped when Gail was not there and jumped when she felt a small hand touch her shoulder.

'Lucas and I have been together for years, we've overcome more than you can ever know and I'm carrying his second child. You really think Lucas Buck would abandon me for a random woman when he's managed to align himself with one of the highest regarded families Trinity has ever known?' Gail asked pleasantly, unfazed by Selena's insinuation and not allowing her to see what she had found.

Selena stared at Gail jealously, then let out a long sigh. 'How did you know about my Mother?' she asked finally, unable to hide what she really wanted to know.

'A little birdie told me...What do you know about the Buck women?' Gail asked casually, doubting Selena had anything of worth to contribute but crossing her off never the less.

Selena regarded her suspiciously for a moment, then leaned on a small table behind her and smiled smugly. 'There aren't any. My Father used to say the Bucks were like preying mantises, once they get their heirs they devoured their women and snuffed out any female interference with their males...Are you worried about your mortality Gail?' she asked sarcastically.

Gail inhaled deeply and pushed down her darkness, which she felt creeping up as soon as the words left Selena's mouth. 'My female interference has been strong from day one Selena, if Lucas was going to snuff me out he would have done it by now' she advised confidently, not allowing Selena to get to her.

'You really believe that?' Selena asked curiously, knowing first hand how easy it was for a Buck male to discard a loyal woman.

'What I believe is irrelevant, what I know is I'm not as easy to discard as you or the previous Buck women before me. My husband is aware that he'd have to bring his A game if he dared to challenge me and he may not come out of the fight unscathed' Gail smiled mischievously, wondering how well Lucas would really do if she allowed Rosemary to take full control.

Selena considered her words for a moment, remembering her previous run in's with Gail in the past and nodded respectfully. 'Why are you asking about the women?' she asked, curious as to what her nemesis was up to.

'I'm one of them so why wouldn't I?' she lied effortlessly as she linked Selena's arm and led her out of the Wicca Store, before closing the door abruptly so she could be alone.

Selena had been of no help at all with her current situation; however, Gail liked to keep an eye on her from time to time to ensure the woman was behaving appropriately towards her family. It was not Selena's fault that she was the way she was, it was down to Lucas and the unhealthy way that he controlled women.

Her husband was like a smooth vintage wine, you know it was ultimately bad for you; however, the more you drank the more you craved that particular specimen and it opens you up for almost any suggestion. When you are exposed to that kind of toxic relationship for a prolonged period of time, your senses dull and you are susceptible to things that you would never have dared to even consider previously. Gail should know as she experiences that toxicity every day, the only difference was that she could be just as cruel and unusual as Lucas was.

The faint sound of malicious laughter caught her attention and she glanced towards a dark corner of the room, a familiar dark presence came over her and her hand subconsciously moved to her stomach protectively. Before she could muster up the strength to take a step forward, she sensed another presence close by and stopped in her tracks. Gail closed her eyes and reached out for Gideon instantly, summoning her faithful companion to her; however, when she opened her eyes the laughter disappeared and the need for her protector subsided.

Gail let out a long breath and walked cautiously towards the counter, then leaned on it relieved when she sensed the malevolent presence had definitely left. She let out a small laugh and ran her hand through her hair in exasperation, growing sick of the strangeness that she was required to deal with on a daily basis and cursing herself for being too distracted with her unborn baby girl to notice the dark presence that had been close.

As she drew in a calming breath and allowed herself to open up to her surroundings, she felt eyes on her and exhaled slowly. Gail had experienced enough supernatural disturbances recently to last a lifetime and felt the rage growing inside of her, clawing to be released. When she turned around ready to unleash her anger on whatever dared bother her in her current mood, her mouth dropped open and she stared at the dark figure confused. 'You've got to be kidding me' she said in disbelief, then placed her hand over her mouth and shook her head in irritation.

* * *

Lucas glanced at his watch casually, then signalled for the young waitress to get him another drink. He had brought Caleb and a few of his close friends to Trinity's only cinema, now they were all spending his money on pointless arcade games and messing around as young children did. He had initially wanted the whole family to spend the day together; however, with both Caleb's and Gail's strange behaviour of late, he chose to allow his son to have a quiet celebration in the day with his close friends and their family would regroup for an evening celebration.

Lucas watched as Caleb laughed with Boone Mckenzie, then turned to Rose and blushed. The boy really did have it bad for that girl and he willed him to make some kind of move, so he could start teaching him about the real fun in life.

'No Mrs Buck today?' Rose's Mother Abby asked casually, as she approached the table and smiled sweetly.

'My wife has other duties to take care of, but we'll be meeting up shortly' Lucas smiled back charmingly and signalled for her to sit down, not allowing his lack of interest in her to shine through.

Abby glanced at the children and her smile grew wider when she saw Caleb, that boy saved her life and she could not praise him enough recently. 'He's growin' quickly, soon he'll shoot up to your level' she laughed and tried to stop herself from blushing in the Sheriff's presence.

'For everyone's sake I hope he takes his time, he'll be a force to be reckoned with' Lucas smiled, leaning back in his chair comfortably and winking teasingly at the young waitress who brought him his drink.

'Your wife's so lucky to have two strong boys around...I'd give anythin' for a strong touch in my life' Abby licked her lips subconsciously and inhaled deeply as she took in his masculine scent.

Lucas caught himself roll his eyes at her blatant attraction to him and forced a pleasant smile. Due to the way he had left things with Gail this morning, he had not had his usual release. Being near a woman now who would so willingly lay down for him just infuriated him, as his wife should be the one doing this and not her. 'I'm sure Mr Right will come along sooner or later, there's plenty of men around if you looked in the right direction' he stated, then got up before she could respond and headed towards the children.

Rose spotted the Sheriff approaching and stood up straight, showing her strength like Gail would. She had spent the whole day with Gail after she had been caught ditching school with Caleb and it had made her realise that she did not want to be soft around men like her Mother was, she was determined to do more to better herself.

Lucas sensed the girls thoughts and laughed, even when his love was not around it appeared her presence was known. 'Reach for the moon Darlin'' Lucas winked charmingly, then signalled Caleb to follow him.

Caleb did not like the way Rose was looking at his Father and felt a pang of jealousy flow through him, he followed his Father obediently and stared at him disapprovingly when they stopped in a secluded corner. 'You leave her alone' he warned, unable to stop the words before they came out.

Lucas glanced at his boy in disbelief of the order he just heard, then let out a loud laugh and shook his head amused. 'She ain't my type son, brunettes are my way forward' he smirked, then patted the boy on the shoulder and led him closer to the exit. 'You had about enough fun here to allow us to get on with the next leg of festivities?' he asked, hoping the boy would sense his boredom.

Caleb wanted to stay out longer; however, he had not seen the rest of his family much today and there may be more presents waiting for him. 'We can go, but I'm bringin' Rose' he advised feigning confidence, testing whether his Father would accept his demand.

'I wouldn't have it any other way' Lucas smiled, amused at the boy wanting to test his boundaries and signalled for Caleb to say goodbye to his other friends before meeting him at his car.

-To be continued-


	6. Chapter 6

Lucas turned into the driveway of his home with Caleb, Merlyn and Rose in the car with him. He had been pleasantly surprised when Harvard had opted to skip this gathering, choosing to brood at Merlyns home alone while they celebrated Caleb's birthday. He knew Caleb was not happy about the mans choice to stay away and his love would not take it well when he delivered the news; however, the night would be more enjoyable for Lucas in Matt's absence and for once it was not him that instigated the decision.

Merlyn sat moodily in the front passenger seat, watching Caleb and Rose through the rearview mirror. She wished her brother would have made more of an effort to make Matt feel welcome on this occasion; however, he had been too busy whispering and joking around with Rose.

'Young love, you know how that is' Lucas whispered in her ear knowingly and winked at her playfully as he turned off the engine, then signalled for them to follow him inside. As he got to the large black front door, he stared at it suspiciously when it did not automatically open for him and all the lights in the property were off. This was not usual when the Master of the property arrived and he took a step back curiously, then released his twin to survey the area.

'We gonna stand out here all night?' Merlyn snapped irritated, then reach around him for the door handle and stared at it confused when she realised the door was locked. 'Since when do you need to worry about security?'

'I don't' Lucas said flatly, then turned towards the side of the property and began walking away from the group.

Merlyn glanced at Caleb, who just shrugged back at her and continued talking to Rose, then grabbed her brother by the arm and dragged him against his will in the direction Lucas was walking. Her whole family had been behaving strangely recently and she was always riddled with concern for them; however, her concern was now solely focused on her cousin, who appeared to be missing in action.

Caleb tried to struggle free of his sisters grip, then resigned himself to being controlled and rolled his eyes at Rose when she just laughed at him. He was about to protest about the treatment he was receiving when they turned the corner of the house and spotted the large fountain in the backyard decorated with warm lights. He stared at the back garden in awe and walked ahead to Lucas, who stood silently by the fountain. 'This looks amazin'' he smiled, looking up at the large structure then jumped back slightly when the back garden was suddenly illuminated further.

Lucas leaned to the side casually to admire the lights, which led into the forest at the back of the property. His gut was calling for caution; however, he sensed his love in the vicinity and was curious as to what she was playing at.

'It goes into the woods!' Rose exclaimed, clinging on to M's arms subconsciously when the back garden lit up.

Merlyn had been beyond this part of the property once before with Gail and felt her heart sink. 'Maybe we should go' she suggested and took a step back while holding Rose's arm.

'What do you say Birthday boy, you wanna go?' Lucas asked him knowingly.

Caleb looked excitedly at the trail of lights and shook his head frantically at his Father.

'Well alright then, onward and upward we all go' Lucas advised casually and pushed Caleb in front of him to lead the way.

Merlyn heard the order in Lucas' undertone and forced a smile for Rose in order to hide her concern from the girl, then followed the boys obediently. She sensed something dark in this area of the property and just hoped that Lucas knew what he was getting them all into.

Caleb made his way through the woods, glancing up at Lucas every now and again to ensure he was still happy for him to lead. He allowed the lights to lead his way, then jumped up excitedly when he spotted an out of place box wrapped up in front of a tree. Caleb looked to Lucas for authority, then ran excitedly to the present when his Father nodded his permission for him to go.

Lucas applauded his love's effort for the surprise element of this venture; however, he did not approve of the setting, especially when Merlyn and Rose were present. He smiled when Caleb opened his present then held the expensive bicycle helmet and shin pads up high over his head. 'From M and Harvard to protect you when you go racin' off like a bat outta hell' he called to him.

'Who's gonna protect the cars' Rose joked, making a dig at the time Caleb rode into Gail's Mustang.

Caleb heard the comment and pulled his tongue out at Rose, before getting up carefully and continuing to follow the lights. He came across another small present and opened it excitedly, then handed it to Lucas confused.

Lucas turned the thin blue plastic box over in his hand, then shrugged and handed it back to boy.

'All will be revealed' Merlyn smiled cunningly, aware of exactly what the game was for and knowing Lucas was not going to be impressed.

Lucas glanced at Merlyn suspiciously, then heard his youngest son scream in the distance and spotted a large box by the clearing. He had previously hoped that Gail was not leading them where he suspected and cursed her for her choice of location.

Caleb knew what was past the clearing and looked at Lucas cautiously, when his Father nodded his approval Caleb followed the remaining lights slowly and picked up the slightly heavy box. He was about to shake it when Merlyn gasped and he chose to hold it carefully while his Father approached.

Lucas was not concerned with the present, he stared out into the sacred ground past the clearing and shook his head disapprovingly.

Rose came up to the clearing with M, then her mouth dropped open in amazement when she spotted the lights and decorations. 'But it's a graveyard' she whispered quietly, not sure whether she was allowed to be impressed at the effort that had been made here or not.

Lucas spotted Gail casually sat on his Fathers blank gravestone reading a small book, then pushed Caleb onto the sacred ground when he sensed the boy's excitement. He did not understand why his love had chosen to desecrate his families burial ground; however, he intended to get to the bottom of it.

Gail had sensed their approach as soon as Lucas turned into the driveway and was amused at his anger. Had he not allowed it to cloud his judgement he would see that she had not touched the families plot, apart from placing a few candles around the place and she had set up the celebration table out by the edge of the area.

Caleb did not know what to do at first, sensing his Father's anger; however, when he spotted Gail and she beckoned him to her, he handed the present he was holding to Merlyn then ran to Gail and gave her a big hug. 'Should we be here?' he asked cautiously, trying to hide his excitement at being on a forbidden part of the property.

'Technically we're over there' she pointed to Luke, who was sat in his highchair next to Stacey at the large table covered with food and presents underneath, then pushed Caleb gently towards his party area.

Merlyn led Rose away from the graves and to the edge of the property, where a large drop could cause injury or death should any of them be stupid enough to venture close enough to the edge. Lucas was far too quiet for her liking and she had witnessed enough of his sins to know when to steer clear of him; therefore, believed the best cause of action for them was to steer clear of him.

Lucas watched as their company migrated towards the large table past the blank family gravestones and walked casually up to his love. 'You wanna tell me what part of this is appropriate?' he asked calmly, attempting to keep his anger in check.

Gail had came here after her visit to the Wicca Store and sensed the familiar presence, causing her mischievous side to come into play. She knew this would seem like sacrilege to a certain person and wanted to show how much control she had over this family, should her suspicions be right.

She glanced down at Malcolm's gravestone that she had been sat on and took hold of Lucas' hands, then placed them gently on her stomach and stroked his cheek tenderly. 'I love you' she whispered truthfully, staring deep into his eyes and placing a soft kiss on his lips.

Lucas was taken aback by the uncharacteristic declaration and stroked her stomach softly, before pulling her to him and kissing her passionately. 'This stunt ain't for me?' he asked curiously, after releasing her lips and stroking his nose on hers affectionately.

'Not unless there's something you want to share with me?' Gail asked sweetly, then rolled her eyes when Caleb called out for them and decided not to broach the subject at this time.

Lucas slapped her behind playfully when she started to head towards the party, then glanced down at the gravestone she had been sat on and sensed the malevolent presence close by. He closed his eyes and sent out a silent warning, feeling the hatred radiating off of the unwelcome guest and let out a relieved breath when he sensed the presence back away.

'Something keeping your attention over there soulmate' Gail called suspiciously, forcing a sweet smile although she sensed the hatred from all around her.

Lucas shook his head as though it was an unwarranted question and smiled charmingly, then headed towards his family and stroked Gail's back reassuringly.

Gail was not stupid, she knew her husbands tells by now just like he knew hers and she was not about to let this go until her suspicions were completely confirmed. 'So, Lucas and I may have gone a little overboard this year but we thought something new was in order' she smiled at Caleb and nodded towards the presents under the table.

Lucas stared down at her confused for a moment, knowing Caleb had already opened their gift of a new bicycle this morning and was curious as to what she was referring to. 'Something new? Have you been out spendin' my hard earned money Darlin'?' he whispered sarcastically.

'Well you certainly have enough of it' she laughed and leaned in closer to him. 'I thought we could show the only child in our relationship who doesn't belong to us both that he's valued as much as our biological children, or do you want him to continue to feel alienated and be open to outside suggestion?'

Lucas regarded her suspiciously, then pulled her back into him and whispered in her ear. 'I hope you ain't usein' our boys Birthday to trap me Mrs Buck' he warned.

'I ain't tryin' to trap you Master Buck' she said sarcastically in her best southern accent, then winked at him playfully.

Lucas stared at her amused for a moment, then inhaled deeply when she reached down to his manhood discreetly and gently squeezed. 'This ain't the time love' he whispered.

'It's always the time soulmate' she leaned up to him and nipped his lips teasingly.

Suddenly a plate flew off of the table and smashed loudly against a nearby tree, Gail quickly turned in the direction of the children to check that they were alright and Lucas cursed the annoying ass for not being able to hold in his emotions for more than two minutes.

Rose was visibly shaken by what had just happened when there was no wind on this pleasant night and they were effectively in a graveyard. 'I think I wanna go home' she said to M, who also appeared to have tensed at the occurrence.

'Silly Luke' Gail mock scolded her son in an attempt to explain away what had happened, then went to Luke and gently pulled him out of his highchair when he stared at her confused.

Lucas spotted Caleb looking around for his new friend at the disturbance and signalled for the boy to continue opening his presents, so not to cause a scene. 'I don't know about all you good people but I'm starved' he smiled charmingly, then passed Merlyn and Rose one of Gail's handmade cupcakes and took a large bite of one himself, refusing to acknowledge that anything was wrong.

* * *

Caleb waved happily at Merlyn and Rose, as they walked down the street with Gail's stray Stacey. He had really enjoyed the activities of his Birthday, even if his new friend tried to spoil their fun for some reason and it was a shame that it was all over now.

'Who said it was over?' Gail asked leaning against the front door, waiting patiently for him to come in.

Caleb stared at her confused for a moment, then rushed into the house and stood in awe next to his Father in the entrance hall.

'A 50 inch television, you got him a 50 inch television?' Lucas asked in disbelief.

'We got him a 50 inch television to go with his Playstation 4 and his VR headset' Gail advised smugly, knowing just a hint of technology in this old antique mansion would stare up a whole host of feelings within the things that lurk on this property, not to mention her husband.

'Where would this even go?' Caleb asked, in disbelief that all of the stuff that was scattered around the main entrance was his.

Lucas' mouth dropped open for a moment and he was about to demand the removal of all the items, until he spotted the appreciative look on his sons face and sensed his excitement.

'In your bedroom, out of sight of anyone residing her but you' Gail advised, stroking Lucas' back reassuringly and trying to hide her amusement.

'How will I get it up there?' Caleb asked, smiling excitedly and wanting to hook everything up straight away.

'Well your Father...' Gail started, then sensed Lucas tense and quickly changed her train of thought. '...Ben and Billy, or Matt will haul it up there tomorrow. It'll be set up ready for when you finish school and no-one else will have to look at it after that' she advised, trailing her hand down to Lucas' behind and pinching it playfully in an attempt to distract him.

'It's late, take Luke and go get ready for bed' Lucas ordered, feeling his rage close to the surface and using all of his self control not to react to the situation.

Caleb nodded obediently, then ran up to his Father and give him a big hug. 'Thank you sir' he said happily, then took Luke and headed upstairs to get them both ready for bed.

Lucas inhaled deeply and closed his eyes for a moment, then turned and headed down a long corridor which led away from the main area of the house.

Gail sensed his fury and rolled her eyes at his overreaction, before following him to ensure that he did not do anything stupid. 'I know this is a small Town but we don't live in the dark ages and if you want Caleb to be the best that he can be, you have to allow him to experience all technology that life has to offer now' she advised, attempting to bring a logical argument for her actions.

Lucas disregarded her comment and kept walking down the long corridors in silence, then grabbed her arm roughly and dragged her into the large dining room that was off limits to anyone but them. 'You remember this room?' he asked her abruptly.

'Of course I do' she advised bluntly, glancing at the large painting of Rosemary that was hidden beneath a thick green velvet sheet.

'So you remember our connection and that we're in this together?' he asked, pinning her against the door effortlessly.

Gail stared deep into his eyes and regarded him defiantly. 'Like you remembered our connection when you hid Malcolm's reappearance from me?' she asked accusingly.

Lucas held her stare for a moment, then released his grip on her and ran his hand through his hair in exasperation as he paced the room. 'You think I wanted to deal with that incompetent ass?' he asked in agitation, not appreciating her accusation or the blame being put on him.

'You didn't think it was worth giving me a warning considering I'm carrying your daughter, you know something that has never been successful in your bloodline?' Gail snapped, unable to hide her concern any longer.

Lucas regarded her cautiously for a moment, then let out a small laugh. 'That's what's been botherin' you? No girls in my bloodline?'

'What's bothering me is your eldest's ease of threatening his unborn sister, your Fathers sudden reappearance and your ability to keep all these things hidden from me when I'm losing my damn mind!' she yelled and kicked a chair in frustration.

Lucas was not used to be talked to in such a way and he did not like it. His twin burst out uncontrollably and he felt his rage take over, causing him to reach for her and throw her down hard on the dining room table. 'How would I know what I should or shouldn't inform you of when you keep all of your craziness to yourself? For God's sake talk to me and maybe I'll be able to help you!' he snapped, unable to control his frustration and squeezing her wrists tight.

Gail could not overpower him and was unable to stop Rosemary from bursting free of her cage. She saw the dark part of her form behind her husband and knew this would not end well if she made a move against the Master of this property.

Gideon sensed his Masters concern and skulked from behind a closed curtain, then placed himself between Lucas and Rosemary. Lucas heard the dog's growls, which were not aimed at him for once and let out a small laugh. 'At least you remember where your loyalties lie, although I'd hate to be you when you call her back' Lucas advised amused, then felt his rage subside at her show of protection and pulled his twin back.

Gail sensed Lucas relax and urged Rosemary to come back to her willingly, she was still not in full control of her darkness and she knew this momentary disagreement would not play out well for her. Before Rosemary returned to her, she released a vision to Lucas and let it linger before disappearing.

Lucas let out a long sigh at the picture he had just seen, then turned his full attention back to his love. 'Malcolm won't be a problem'

'He already is, or am I mistaken that he's latched on to Caleb?' she said bitterly.

Lucas laughed and shook his head in disbelief of her judgement of him. 'It appears that Malcolm isn't the only one who's latched on to someone in my family' he stated knowingly and released his grip on her, then helped her up.

Gail sat back on the table, stared at him confused for a moment then realised what he was referring to and cursed her darkness for betraying her. 'I'll deal with that, trust me' she assured him, not wanting to get into that particular subject right now.

'And you trust that I wouldn't let anythin' happen to my daughter Gail...I can handle Malcolm' Lucas reassured her.

'What happens if he targets me?' she asked, curious as to how her husband expected to remain in control of both Caleb and Malcolm.

'I ain't concernin' myself with that, you've already proven time and again that you're not an easy target love' Lucas advised proudly, never becoming tired of her ability to shake things up with her darkness.

'And if you have to choose between your son or your daughter?' she asked suspiciously.

Lucas thought on her question for a moment, then approached her slowly and pushed her gently towards the door. 'I've got more interestin' choices to keep me occupied Mrs Buck' he smiled playfully then pulled up her skirt and began kissing her neck teasingly, refusing to get drawn in to this craziness any further.

It was bad enough that this day had been impacted by outside forces, now all he wanted to do was put all of the drama out of his mind and focus on his family.

-The End-


End file.
